Coke v. Timby

192 P. 624, 57 Utah 53, 1920 Utah LEXIS 78
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 25, 1920
DocketNo. 3468
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 192 P. 624 (Coke v. Timby) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coke v. Timby, 192 P. 624, 57 Utah 53, 1920 Utah LEXIS 78 (Utah 1920).

Opinion

CALL, District Judge.

The plaintiff filed her complaint in the district court of Salt Lake county, by which she seeks to recover damages alleged to have been sustained by reason of the defendant’s negligence. She alleged that on December 16, 1917, she was standing on the north side of First South street, near the corner of Fourth East street, in Salt Lake City, waiting to board a street car; that the defendant owned and operated an automobile, which at said time stood near the curb on the north side of said street, a short distance eastwardly from where she was standing; and that he negligently moved his automobile backward toward the plaintiff, without warning and without affording her an opportunity to escape being struck,- and by reason thereof she suffered the injury complained of.

The defendant’s answer denied negligence and pleads two defenses: (1) Contributory negligence, alleging that at the time and place of the injury complained of the plaintiff, knowing that the defendant was about to back his automobile, so that he might move away from the curb and pass on down the street, negligently and carelessly and without .the exercise of due diligence on her part walked into the street immediately and directly behind his automobile, and that he, not knowing of her presence there, with the exercise of reasonable care and precaution was not able to discover her presence in said place, and that he, in the exercise of due care and diligence on his part, moved the automobile slowly backward [56]*56for a distance of about sis feet, when it came in contact with the plaintiff: (2) settlement, alleging that the plaintiff, after she had sustained the injury complained of, accepted $200, and executed a release in full satisfaction and liquidation and discharge of’her claim for damages.

To the last defense plaintiff replied that, if she executed a release in full satisfaction of her demands and claims, such release was obtained by fraud on the part of the defendant, and is void. She admits that $200 was paid, $125 to her granddaughter and $75 to her physician, to meet part of the medical expenses incurred and nurse hire; that the defendant called on her on January 16, 1918, while she was confined to her bed, suffering from the injuries and under the influence of drugs, and represented to her and her attendant that he was procuring a receipt for money for plaintiff’s nurse and medical expenses: that she was unable to read, and, relying upon said representations of defendant, she signed same.

The case was tried by a jury, and resulted in a verdict for plaintiff, from which defendant appealed.

The first assignment of error relied upon is the refusal of the court to grant defendant’s motion for a nonsuit. The accident occurred on Sunday morning, in front of the Congregational Church, at the close of service, which had been attended by some 700 or 800 people, among whom were the parties to this action. The plaintiff was seventy-seven years of age, and on leaving church continued north across the street ear tracks to take the westbound car for her home. The defendant had his automobile parked against the curb on the north side of the street. The plaintiff paused on the west side of the defendant’s one-seated electric automobile, which had its top partly lowered, and conversed for a few minutes with Mrs. Timby, who was sitting beside the defendant. "When ready to leave, the defendant testified he said, “We will have to go home,” and that Mrs. Coke then said, “I must be going, too.” She then stepped back to take her car. Defendant further testified that there might have been a dozen people standing there waiting for the car, and if he had turned around and looked before he sat down he [57]*57could have seen tbe plaintiff; but be did not do so, saying:

“I simply sat down, looked to the side of the car, and started to back, and within six feet the plaintiff was struck.”

Mrs. Coke bad stopped to permit a westbound automobile to pass her. This point was only a few feet from the place where cars stop to take on passengers. Mrs. Coke testified:

“I started across the street to the street car track, and the auto came along, and I stopped to let it pass, because I knew the street car would stop long enough for me to get there, for the purpose of getting on, and while I stood there Mr. Timby started to move back. There were other people by the track, ten or fifteen feet away. The auto was standing still as I left to walk over to the track.”

Considering tbe street, with the trafile thereon, tbe time of day, tbe .many people who were accustomed to attend the church and to take the street car at the point of tbe accident, tbe familiarity of the defendant with all these things, and bis knowledge that tbe plaintiff was near bis automobile, 1 a regular stopping place on a street car line, to take the car for her home, we are not prepared to declare as a matter of law that the defendant was not guilty of negligence; neither are we prepared to say that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. We think the question was one for a jury, and there was no -error in refusing to grant the motion for a nonsuit. For the same reason the court did not err in refusing to grant the defendant’s motion for a new trial.

The contention made in connection with the motion that the verdict of $4,200 rendered is excessive, and was given under the influence of passion and prejudice, cannot be sustained. The record shows that the plaintiff in two years expended nearly $1,500 for nursing, medicine, 2 and doctor’s bills, and was so crippled that she is still unable to walk, and can only move around on' crutches. There is no suggestion made by appellant as to the amount that -would not be excessive. A few years ago such a sum might not have been awarded by a jury, but in this day of high prices the amount awarded cannot be said 3 to be excessive; nor does the contention that the jury [58]*58was influenced by the testimony (all of which was admitted without objection) that there was an insurance policy, which might or might not protect the defendant, meet with any favor.

The defendant testified as to conversations had with Mrs. Rowan and the plaintiff 'at the time the alleged release was executed, saying, among other things, that he had examined the insurance policy and found that he could get Mrs. Coke $200. On cross-examination of defendant, the "court sustained an objection as immaterial to the question:

“You knew you could get tbe extent of her injury and damages under that insurance policy, up to a certain amount?”

"Whether the objection was well taken is not before this court, but from all the record we do not think the appellant can complain of the question asked.

The appellant complained that the court erred in its refusal to direct the jury to bring in a verdict in favor of defendant. The foundation for a peremptory instruction 4 is claimed by appellant to be the alleged release and settlement of claim which plaintiff made. The record is that Mr. Timby testified:

“I went to the place of business of Mrs. Rowan, she having received the checks that I had given prior to this in payment of nurse hire, and asked her if she would be good enough to go over with me to see Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
192 P. 624, 57 Utah 53, 1920 Utah LEXIS 78, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coke-v-timby-utah-1920.